Tag: TrekBooks

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Mean Girls

Hilary Mantel gets vicious. Calls Kate Middleton a plastic breeding machine mannequin. None of which would describe the ManBooker queen. Bring up the “bones”.  After her last travesty, she should focus on writing better royal fiction.

Mean knows no gender on this week’s Girls episode, called Boys. Ray’s attempt at a male bonding moment turns churlish when Adam’s claws come out. Jenna emerges from the tub long enough to slap Hannah right on her writer’s block.

Women of different means. Hillary hits speaking circuit. Sarah’s back at CPAC.

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Sandy – Sandusky – Sandy Hook

2012 in a nutshell. Good, bad, very ugly. Here’s hoping 2013 will bring sanity, bonne santé, un esprit de corps. Bonne année.

Best ~
Giants SuperBowl Win
MadMen5-Joan’s revenge
Obama re-election team

Worst ~
Sandy
Sandusky
Sandy Hook

Best Books ~
The Cat’s Table
Gone Girl
Defending Jacob

Worst Books ~
ManBooker LongList- most
Bring Up the Bodies- especially

Great Restaurant Treks ~
Gramercy Tavern- NY
ABC Kitchen- NY

 Biz Fail ~
Facebook IPO

Au Revoir ~
CaffertyFile on CNN

SuperBowl Pick ~
San Fran beats Denver-wishful
Atlanta beats Denver- realistic

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Trek Books – 2012

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
Defending Jacob, William Landay
The Cat’s Table, Michael Ondaatje
The Chaperone, Laura Moriarty
The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton, Elizabeth Speller

See reviews on Books page. Ondaatje’s cubistic ship story was beautifully written. The others caught my attention for clever and thoughtful premises. NYTimes list does not match mine. Several appear on my 2011 list. It hasn’t been a year of great writing. ManBooker List and Prize a total disappointment. Disagree with Mantel’s sequel getting any accolades. Hope 2013 will be better reading.

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Snowing Leaves

It’s snowing leaves. Colorful storm. Golden rusted flakes cascading to the ground. Crackling underfoot. Foliage suddenly gone. Took a Sunday detour from Autumn in New England to Summer in the Nevada Desert. Started Jana Richman’s new novel, The Ordinary Truth. Extraordinary read. Couldn’t put it down.

Compelling story, richly written. Great Basin beauty is artfully conjured, but Richman’s portrayal of familial relationships shone. I cared about these people. Raw generational dynamics stuck in time. Secrets, jealousies authentically, searingly evoked. Conditions common to every family. This takes creating a crisis as a catalyst for change to page-turning revelations. Highly recommend.

Pats-Jets ending. Wow.

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All England

Federer bested the Brit last weekend at Wimbledon. Olympics next week. Tomorrow begins the quest for the claret jug. Will Tiger win a major across the pond? Pothole bunkers, linksy dawn television coverage with Sergio and Justin. First tee a par 3 test. I know, frivolous in light of serious recent events. But, air-conditioned marathon continues. Pip, pip, cheerio.

Good books set in England if you don’t like sports~
Derby Day, D.J. Taylor. Victorian-esque novel.
The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton, Elizabeth Speller. Downton meets Easton.

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Paris v. NYC

Nifty gift from mAdBen. He met graphic artist Vahram Muratyan and got me a signed copy of his new book, “Paris Versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities”. It is a clever delightful artistic comparison of la vie quotidienne, daily life in each city. Laugh-out-loud brilliant fun. Motivation to get back to gay Paree.

It was highlighted this weekend in the NYTimes along with a book about women on Madison Avenue during MadMen days. Jane Maas recounts her time at Ogilvy & Mather in the 60’s, in “MadWomen”.  A real-life portrait of Peggy Olson.

Before we leap tomorrow, let’s wish a very happy 87th to Betsey! If her mother Birdie could have only waited one more day, she’d still be in her twenties.

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2011

GOOD

mAdBen’s Crazy Great Year. NYU accolades. New view. Career

Mama & 3 bears in the yard


The Night Circus
Ocean House, Watch Hill- 60

BAD

People on TV.  Cover your skin. Sleeves. Pleez.
Amy Winehouse. Sad

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Kristmas Klear

Ignore those flakes. Not dreaming of a white Christmas this year. October blast enough. See broken oak tree. Stay away snow! Midnights clear.

When Kranky Kristmas thoughts intrude, read the new winter edition of MSKCCBridges newsletter. Inspiring stories that make the season bright. GemQueen’s wonderful patient support and leadership has extended to an Art Expressions Program this past year to be celebrated Thursday night.

K9Queen has been reading a lot out in sunny Monterey, CA. She likes murder mysteries and particularly loves the Harry Bosch detective series by Michael Connelly. She gives his latest The Drop 5 stars: Connelly…”again hits the high mark with a complex, twisting plot and a detective full of flaws… In this apparent suicide probe, Bosch deals with ‘high jingo’, the derisive phrase he uses to describe the machinations of corrupt local politicians in LA…”

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Soul Man

He’s a soul man. Yeah. Sexy-generian soul mate. Happy Birthday Dr.Husband!

B&B for wayward cold souls. Lucky and grateful to be warm. October’s heavy snow on leafy limbs. Trees down in Western Massachusetts hitting houses, power lines. Many homes won’t get lights, heat back for a week. Old Oak being hauled off in chunks. Squirrels squabbling over remaining acorns. It’s the best birthday gift to have power and be able to watch Morning Joe.

Check out Review- “The Stranger’s Child”, by Alan Hollinghurst- Books page.